Suction cleaner



May 9, 1933. B WHITE 1,907,692'

sUGTIoN CLEANER Filed March 2, 1952 INI/EN TOR. HARRY B WHITE.

ATTORNEY.

Patented May 9, 1933 HARRY B.4 WHITE, OF

PATENT' OFFICE GANTON, OHIO, AssIGNOn rro THE HOOVER COMPANY, OF NORTH caN'roN, omo, A CORPORATION or OHIO SUCTION' CLEANER Application 'iled March 2,

agitator and the :motor drive shaft. More specifically the invention comprises a signalling device which functions only when the.

power-transmitting belt between the motor drive shaft and the agitating means in the suction cleaner nozzle is incorrectly' connected to the drive shaft. In view of the desir-v ability yof having the suction cleaner agitator rotate in a certain direction, and further in view of the desirability of obtaining maximum belt lifetogether with uninterrupted service, the usefulnessof the present invention which insures those things is apparent.

It is an object of the present invention to' provide new and novel means to apprise the` lsuction cleaner operator of the Afact that the power-transmitting belt between the rotary agitator in the suction cleaner nozzle and the drive-shaft is incorrectly attached. A further object is to provide warnin means, makinguse of audible sounds; to in orm the cleaner operator of the incorrect connection existing in his cleaner. Stillanother object is the provision, in a suction cleaner of noisecreating-warning means which are automatically operated when the cleaner isoperated with the 'belt-reversed at its connection to the motor shaft. These and other` morespecic objects will appear upon. reading the following specification and claims and upon considering inconnection therewith the attached drawing to .which they relate. p

Referring now tothe drawing in which the same reference character refers to like parts in'the various views: l v

Figure 1 is a side view of amodern suction cleaner with'the present invention embodied therein, the cleaner being shown partly 1n section; y l ,Figure 2vis fa partial bottom view of the cleaner shown in Figure 1 with the bottom plate broken away to show the interior of the machine;

Figure 3 a partial view similar to Figmeans 17 1932. serial No. 596,189.

ure l, showing the belt incorrectly connected to the motor shaft;

Figure 4 is a top view looking down upon a detail of the present invention detached from the cleaner body; A

Figure 5 is a section upon the line 5-5 of Figure 4; A l

Figure 6 is a partial section upon the line 6-6 of Figure 2 showing the clearance between the power-transmitting belt and the noise-creating device when the belt is correctly connected to the drive shaft.

A4 modern suction cleaner is shown in the drawing and comprises a'main casing indicated generally by the reference character 1 which includes the suction nozzle 2, the fan chamber 3, which is interiorly connected through its eye 4, to the air passageway 5 extending from the nozzle 2 to thefan chamber, and an exhaust outlet 6 lto which is.de'

motor, the shaft 13 of which extends downwardly through the fan chamber 3, throu h the eye 4 of the fan chamber, and into t ie i air' passageway 5 where it is convexly shaped f as a pulley. Carried by the motor shaft 13 within the fan chamber 3 is ay'suction-creating fan 14 whose function `is to create a reduced pressure within the fan chamber re sulting in the drawing of cleaning air int the nozzle 2 between the lips 10 `and 11,

through the air passagewa c 5V and fan chamber inlet 4, and into the l' an chamber from whence it is exhausted through the *exhaust outlet 6 into the dust bag 8. cleaner `is `movably supported'. by front wheels 15, 15 and by rear wheels of which only one is lshown, being indicated at 16 but which are f ,rovided-withl height-controlling The entire .non I y which they can be raised or lowered, relative to the cleaner body,for the j purpose of raising or lowering the nozzle 2 ly connected to the main body 1 at the side of fan chamber 3 andwhich is provided with position-retaining means indicated generally by the reference character 19. Within the nozzle; 2 of the cleaner and rotatably supported by a transverse shaft 20 is a rotatable agitator 21 which comprises a cylindrical body upon the surface of which are positioned helically extending raised beater elements 22, 22. A longitudinally extending brush 23 is also carried by the agitator body and there is positioned substantially midway of the length of agitator a surface of reduced diameter which forms a pulley 24. Connecting the pulley 24 to the pulley surface of shaft 13 is a power-transmitting belt 25 whose function it is to rotate the agitator 21 by means of the power it'transmits from'the motor shaft 13.

In the operation of the suction cleaner it is extremely desirable that the rotary agitator 21 revolve in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 1 and as indicated by the arrow in that figure. It is necessary in order to have a stable condition Without slippage that the tension side of the belt should extend substantially perpendicularly to the drive shaft, and with the shaft rotating in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1 itis clear that the lower side of the belt is the tension sid-e and that the desired relationship exists. With the belt so connected the pull upon the lower side of the belt 25 is in a straight line and there is no tendency for the belt to climb in either direction upon pulley 13. If, however, in the replacing of a belt the operator. connects the belt in the opposite and wron relationship with shaft 13, or that shown'inigure 3, in which the top side of the belt passes around the near side of the pulley, it is then clear that the belt willtend to climb upwardly upon the pulley in an attempt to decrease the distance between the point atwhich it leaves the pulley 24 and the point at which it cont-acts the pulley 13. A reversal of direction of rotation of agitator 21 also results and is undesirable as the brush and beater elements of the agitator throw the foreign matter .which they contact outwardly from the cleaner nozzle 2 and under the front lip 11 instead of rearwardly andinto the air passageway 5 as in the normal operation of the cleaner. The condition is' also undesirable for as the belt climbs upwardly upon the shaft 13 its movement thereafter results in vits being Worn by contact with the undersideof f-an chamber 3. The lsliding ofl belt- 25 in contact with fan chamber 3 also tends to place an undue load upon the :drivino' motor which may be injurious thoughy only temporary.' According to the present invention the pulley diameter of shaft 13 decreases as the shaft approaches fan 14 so that with the belt rubbing against the fan chamber and increasingthe load on the belt the belt speed is materially reduced thereby maintaining subst-antially the same load on contacted by a coil spring 29 carriedby bracket 28 which exerts a force on arm 26 resulting in the forward end of that member being forced up against the wall of nozzle 2 immediately above the rotary agitator 21. IFrom a point 'immediately below the bracket 28 the arm 26 extends rearwardly as a lever to a position immediately over the normal position of the belt 25 as is clearly seen in Figure 1. With the belt in the normal position upon the driving pulley 13 it passes under this rearward or lever portion of arm 26 Without any contact therebetween. If, however, the belt is incorrectly connected, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawing, the belt climbs up the pulley to the position there shown and functions to liftv the'rear portion of arm 26 upwardly, thereby pivoting downwardly the forward portion of that arm against the pressure exerted by coil spring 29. The forward portion of arm 26 is thereupon contacted by the rotating beating elements 22, 22 at high frequency resulting in a considerable sound disturbance or racket which is completely effective in calling the attention of the operator to the situation that exists.

I claim: 1 Y

1. In a suction cleaner, a driving shaft, a movable agitator including surface-contacting elements, removable power-transmitting means between the shaft and the agitator adapted to assume a plurality of positions relative to said shaft, signalling means adapted to be operated by said power-transmitting means in certain positions on said shaft, and means to maintain said signalling means inoperative with said power-transmitting means in certain positions on said shaft. 'f

2. In a suction cleaner, a driving shaft, a movable agitator including surface-contacting elements, removable power-transmitting means between said shaft and said agitator means adapted to be operated by said powerradially projecting portions, an element earried by said body adapted to vcontact sa1d"4 vtransmittingmeans in certain positions on said shaft, and means to maintain said signalling means inoperative with said power- 5 transmitting means in certain positions on said shaft. V Y

3. In a suction cleaner, a driving shaft, a movable agitator including surface-contacting elements and a pulley surface, a remova-l '10 ble power-transmitting belt connected between said shaft and /the pulley surfaceof said agitator and adapted to be connected to said shaft in a plurality of ways, means adapted to be vcontacted by said belt when connected to said shaft in a certain way, and

signalling means connected to said first-mentioned means and operated upon said belt contacting said first-mentioned means.

4. In a suction cleaner, a driving shaft, a movable lagitator including surface-contacting elementsand a pulley surface, removable power-transmitting means between said shaft and the pulley surface of said agitator and adapted to be'connectedfto said shaftin one of a plurality of ways, means adapted to bev contacted and actuated bysaid powertransmitting means in a certain position, and signal means operable by said firstmentioned means.

5. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle, a rotary agitator in said nozzle, adriving shaft,'a removablebelt between said agitator and said shaft adapted to make contact with the latter at a plurality of longitudinally spaced points, means adapted to be contactedby said belt when it contacts said shaft ata certain point, and .means in said nozzle adapted to be moved into contact with said agitator to create a noise upon said rstbelt.

6. In a suction cleaner a body including a nozzle, a rotary agitator in said4 nozzle, a drive shaft spaced from said agitator, a belt connected between said agitator and said shaft and adapted tov encircle said shaft in one of two directions, a lever pivotally carried by said body Vand adapted to be contacted by said belt when it encircles said shaft in one direction, and signal means operatively connected to said lever.

7. -In a suction cleaner, a body, a rotar agitator carried by said body, a drive sha t carried by said body and spaced from said agitator, a belt between said agitator and said shaft adapted to make contact at longitudinallyl spaced points on said shaft, a lever pivotally carried fby said body adapted to contacted and pivoted by said beltvin one of its positions on said shaft, and an arm carried by said body and connected to said lever and adapted to be moved into contact with said agitator upon the pivoting of said lever.

8. Ina suction cleaner, a body, a rotary 05 agitator carried' by said --body including mentioned means being contactedf by said portions in certain of its positions to create a noise, a driving shaft carried by said'body at right angles to the axis of, said agitator, a

powertransmitting'belt between said shaft and said agitator adapted to be connected to said shaft so'that either side of said belt from said agitator passes around either side` of said shaft, a lever carried by said body positioned adjacent said belt and adapted to be contacted and moved thereby with said belt connected to said shaft in one relationship, said lever being connected to said element and adapted to move said element in to contact with said portions,

9. In a -suction cleaner, a body, a rotary agitator carried by said body, a driveshaft` tacttherewith, said pulley surface'being of reduced diameter at the normal point of belt contact with saidbelt reversed for the urpose of reducing the load on said belt and shaft to offsetdhe additional load.

Signed at North Canton, in the county of Starkand State of Ohio, this 25th day of February A.. D., V1932.

" HARRY B. WHITE. 

